This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for automatically making food products such as bread, cakes and the like.
The invention is more particularly related to a baking apparatus for automatically making food products in piece form from dough-like substances. The apparatus may for example comprise a housing containing holding means adapted to be affixed to either end of a flexible sealable bag containing the ingredients for the doughlike substance, and a dough preparation station having an upper and a lower slit forming slit openings. Kneading means are included for mechanically working the ingredients in the bag, and the apparatus provides for relative movement between the bag and the kneading means so that the ingredients are kneaded into a dough-like substance. A heat treatment station is in said housing in which the kneaded dough-like substance is baked.
Baking e.g. bread for household purposes is a relatively complicated, time consuming, work intensive and messy business. Due to the fact that the quality of the bread to a certain extent depends on the fermentation time and that the fermentation procedure has to be performed under the correct conditions, which takes a relatively long time, there are few people who have the privilege of eating fresh home-made bread for breakfast.
In the EP-A No. 0 113 327 there is disclosed a baking apparatus of the above mentioned kind which can produce bread automatically without soiling various vessels and utensils, as the mixing and kneading operations of the dough takes place in a flexible sealable bag containing the necessary ingredients for the dough.